The role of the paternal genotype in the accumulation of calcium in the liver of descendants of holstein bulls

The article presents materials on the concentration of Ca in the liver of the sons of different Holstein bulls. The experiments were conducted on animals bred in the Kuzbass region. Four experimental groups of cattle were provided with identical feeding and housing conditions. The analysis of feed, soil, and water did not reveal any excessive levels of heavy metals in the area where the Holstein cattle were kept. The concentration of Ca in the liver of the bulls was determined using atomic emission spectrometry on an ICP AES IRIS instrument. A genetic component in the variability of the content of the studied macronutrient in the liver was established. Thus, the content of calcium in this organ in bulls of different Holstein breed fathers was at the level of 41–51.3 mg/ kg. Intergroup differences in the content of calcium are shown. In the descendants of bull No. 318, this indicator was 1.2 times lower than in bulls of the manufacturer No. 212 (p < 0.05). The effect of the bulls’ genotype on the level of calcium accumulation in the offspring’s liver was 29 % (p < 0.05). Thus, the effect of the fathers’ genotype on the level of calcium in the sons’ liver was revealed. The phenotypic variability of calcium content in the liver ranged from 9.2 % to 22.3 %. Analysis of the similarity between the descendants of different bulls-producers in terms of the calcium content in the liver revealed two clusters, one of which included the descendants of a bull with a reduced calcium content, and the other included the remaining bulls. The established average population values of calcium concentration in the studied population can be considered the physiological norm for Holstein cattle in the climatic conditions of Western Siberia, and they can be used as indicators for characterizing the interior. The content of calcium and other chemical elements in organs and tissues provides a more accurate representation of the chemical status of dairy cattle.